
Making Organic Pure Raw Chocolate is simple.. Why not give it a try?
When you make Raw Chocolate your kitchen will fill with the heavenly aromas first unlocked by the ancients of Meso-America. Raw Chocolate is a delicious secret, and once you discover it you will never turn back. Using the finest Raw Chocolate ingredients means that your confectionary bars are not only delicious with that insatiable bitter sweet taste but also nutritious. Enjoy the sensuality of the delicious taste, colours and aromas of making your own gourmet Raw Chocolate......
Ingredients
- Equal proportions of Raw Organic Cacao Powder, Raw Organic Cacao Butter, Raw Vanilla Powder and Raw Organic Agave Syrup (The amount of sweetener/ butter/ powder can be varied to taste)
- This will form the base of the chocolate; additional taste and texture can be added
- 100g of each ingredient would make 20 small chocolates (Approx 15g per chocolate)
- 250 grams of each would make 50 small chocolates.
Equipment
- A saucepan filled with water, and a heat resistant bowl that balances nicely on top (often called a bain-marie)
- A mixing spatula or large spoon (a flexi-bake ware spatula is nice to scrape the bowl)
- A fine sieve
- Measuring scale (Or a well trained eye)
- A chocolate mould (If you don't have one you can also use an ice-cube tray or cup-cake cases
Instructions
- Bring the water to boil.
- Meanwhile finely chop the Cacao Butter and set it in the bowl.
- Remove the boiling water from the heat, and set the bowl on top of it.
- Allow the Cacao Butter to slowly dissolve and melt down to liquid. (This bit smells heavenly.) The Cacao Butter should not get hotter than 45 degrees Celsius to ensure the nutritional properties remain intact. Slowly melting the butter over hot water away from a direct heat source should ensure that this is the case.
- Stir the Vanilla powder into the melted Cacao Butter (This is a good time to add any other powder/oil taste elements at this stage).
- Next sieve in the Cacao Powder and mix thoroughly until the mixture is smooth (Don’t worry about lumps just keep stirring vigorously and all will dissolve).
- Add in the Agave Syrup (or other sweetener) and mix thoroughly until completely blended (Counting to 100 ensures that the syrup is fully blended).
- Now add any other ingredients such as nuts, seeds, dried fruits or superfood powders and stir into the chocolate mix thoroughly.
- Next is the fun bit; pour or spoon (depending on consistency) your Raw Chocolate mixture into the mould and allow to set (in the fridge, and take about 30 minutes to set properly).
- Now pop out your Raw Chocolates from the mould and share them with those you love... if you don't eat them all first!
What else you can do
- Making Raw Chocolate is easy and fun, and once you’ve mastered the basics you can have fun experimenting with different flavours and textures. You can add any ingredient that is dried or powdered. Herbal powders can be blended into the Raw Chocolate mix to fortify the chocolate with beneficial properties. Wholefoods can be added for extra energy and crunch and Superfood powders can be added to boost the nutritional profile.
- TASTE: 100% pure Vanilla powder, Strawberry Fruit Powder, Banana Fruit Powder, Baobab Fruit Powder, Mandarin Essential oil, Peppermint Essential oil. The choice is endless, what’s your favourite taste?
- CRUNCH: Brazil Nuts, Pecan Nuts, Sunflower Seeds, Goji Berries, White Mulberries, Cranberries. Why not experiment?
- SUPERFOOD BOOST: Spirulina Powder, Maca Powder, Lucuma Powder. Herbs and Superfood powders are a great way to fortify your raw chocolate with extra goodness.
About Indigo products
Here at Indigo Herbs we supply the finest Organic Raw Chocolate ingredients. Our Cacao beans, Cacao Nibs, Cacao Paste, Cacao Butter and Cacao Powder are all processed at low temperatures to ensure the phyto-nutrient content of these power-packed beans remain intact.
We also offer a simple and super easy Raw Chocolate making kit which is ideal for the beginner. The kit contains all the pre-measured ingredients and recipe instructions and makes the best kind of gift.
If you are just too busy to get messy in the kitchen then you can enjoy a range of ready made chocolate treats from Indigo Herbs and various guest brands
More information
Why Raw Chocolate?
Much of the Cacao bean’s natural goodness gets destroyed in the heating process of conventional chocolate making. Consequently the feel good factor often experienced when eating chocolate is significantly more noticeable with raw chocolate because much more of the feel good chemical compounds remain intact. The Cacao bean is naturally so rich in nutrients that when the ingredients are handled and processed at low temperatures, these micro-nutrients remain available.
Chocolate folklore & history
It was the Mayans that truly venerated this “food of the Gods”. According to mythology, Quetzalcoatl, the Plumed Serpent gave Cacao to the Maya after humans were created from maize by the divine grandmother goddess Xmucane. There are several recipes for Cacao described in ancient texts, for ceremonial, medicinal and culinary purposes. Some ancient Mayan recipes included maize, chilli, vanilla, peanut butter and honey. A Mayan hot chocolate drink served with Chilli was thought to induce transcendent states and help the drinker connect with the divine. In fact the Cacao bean became so important to Mayan culture that it was used as currency and was worth more than its weight in gold. The Aztec Emperor Montezuma was a dedicated chocoholic, and was famous for consuming large amounts of a hot chocolate drink when feasting. He paid his workers in Cacao beans, and his army would march for days, powered by the bean.
Raw Chocolate Benefits
So why do we feel so good when we eat chocolate?
Raw chocolate is packed with nutrients which are thought to trigger the brain's happy feel good neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and anandamide.
Upon closer analysis of this once mystical bean, it has been found that the raw Cacao bean contains over 300 nutritional compounds. It is notably high in anti-oxidants, and rich in essential minerals and it also contains numerous phyto-chemicals thought to be responsible for its up-lifting properties.
The humble Cacao bean contains the highest natural source of Theobromine; this phyto-chemical is thought to be responsible for expanding the blood vessels and stimulating the heart. The bean is also one of the richest sources of Magnesium which is the mineral for keeping the heart and brain function healthy. It also contains the phyto-chemical PEA (Phenylethylamine), the natural 'love molecule' believed to be responsible for the feelings associated with being in love. However whilst the Cacao bean cannot guarantee love, it does seem that PEA is a pre-curser to the brains neuro-transmitters responsible for feeling happy and uplifted. So as well as being good for your physical health, it can also promote your mental wellbeing.
Nutritional Breakdown
- A source of Magnesium: Cacao is one of the top 10 Magnesium rich foods.
Relaxes muscles, strengthens bones and improves circulation. - High in Vitamin C: Supports the immune system, anti-oxidant action, relieves exhaustion and stress.
- High in Calcium: Essential to bones and teeth.
- Source of Iron: Oxygenates the blood and reduces fatigue.
- High in Protein: Energy, growth and repair.
- Anti-oxidant: Contains 2 x concentration of anti-oxidants found in red wine, and 3 x of anti-oxidants found in green tea.
- Flavonoids. Flavonoids improve the absorption of both Vitamin C and Iron.
- Feel good Phyto-chemicals including Theobromine, PEA, and Tryptophan.